Locking element for anchorage of a u-shaped ceiling section to a u-shaped wall section perpendicular to it

ABSTRACT

A locking element for anchorage of a U-shaped ceiling section to a U-shaped wall section perpendicular to it, both constituting clamping sections for joining together of said elements, said locking element consisting of a first U-section inserted in, and surrounded on all sides by the ceiling section, and of a second U-section inserted in, and surrounded on all sides by the wall section, and by an intermediate piece integral with the webs of the respective sections, the intermediate piece being bent so that the aforesaid sections after mounting are perpendicular to one another.

United States Patent [1 1 Widerby [4 Apr. 10, 1973 LOCKING ELEIVIENT FOR [56] References Cited ANCHORAGE OF A U-SHAPED a. t CEILING SECTION TO A U-SHAPED UNYFED STATES PATENTS WALL SEC'I ION PERPENDICULAR TO 3,144,733 8/1964 Balinski ..52/489 X IT 3,423,896 l/l969 Widerby.... ..52/584 X 3,392,947 7/1968 Keliehor ..287/54 A X [75] Inventor: Lennart Widerby, Jonkoping,

Sweden Primary Examiner-David J. Williamowsky Assistant ExaminerWayne L. Shedd [73] Assignee. glggzlgolsagteagesryenska Flaktfabnken, Atwmey HowSOn and Howson [22] Filed: May 14, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 143,456 A locking element or anchorage of a U-shaped ceiling section to a U-shaped wall section perpendicular to it, both constituting clamping sections for joining 52 US. Cl ..287/l89.36 D, 52/285 52/464 together 0f Said elements Said locking element 52/496 52/584 287/18935 sisting of a first U-section inserted in, and surrounded [51] Int Cl F16, 5/06 on all sides by the ceiling section, and of a second U- [58] Field 189 36 C section inserted in, and surrounded on all sides by the 287/189.36 F, 189.36 H, 189.35, 54 A;' 52/461, 463, 464, 489, 496, 584, 285

wall section, and by an intermediate piece integral with the webs of the respective sections, the intermediate piece being bent so that the aforesaid sections after mounting are perpendicular to one another.

5 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEB APR 1 0 191a sum 1 0F 5 INVENTORI LENNART WIDE RBY B Y Wk? ATTYS.

PATENTEU APR 1 3. 726 552 sum 2 0F 3 Fig. 2b

Fig. 2d Fig 2C w (7 I i I 'Tg i7 1 INVENTOR. LENNART WIDERBY ATTYS.

PATENTEDAPR 1 01915 3'. 726,552

SHEET 3 OF 3 INVENTOR. LENNART WI DERBY BY W4 ATTYS.

LOCKING ELEMENT FOR ANCHORAGE OF A U- SHAPED CEILING SECTION TO A U-SHAPED WALL SECTION PERPENDICULAR TO IT This invention relates to a locking element for anchorage of a U-shaped ceiling section to a U-shaped wall section perpendicular to it, both constituting clamping sections for joining together ceiling and wall elements in a machine-room for fans, for example, and comprising an improvement of the jointing device described in the Swedish laid-out Patent Specification No. 312 217, for fireproof and pressuretight elements for the construction, for example, of machine-rooms for fans.

The building elements, in the form of sheets, are placed at the time of assembly with their longitudinal sides facing one another and are used both for walls and ceilings of the machine-room. The elements are joined together by means of special, U-shaped clamping sections which are anchored to one another at the top end, at the bottom, to special floor sections, so forming the load-carrying skeleton in the walls and ceiling of the machine-room. The ceiling sections, however, differ in shape from the wall sections, which prevents the manufacture of both in a single section rolling mills as would be desirable. Furthermore, in the floor sections there must be special cut-outs into which the wall sections must fit. These cut-outs require special cutting tools and are therefore fairly expensive. A reduction of the cost of manufacture and stockkeeping of ceiling, wall and floor sections could now be attained if the ceiling and wall sections were alike and if the cutouts in the floor sections could be eliminated.

According to the invention these desires are met through the fact that, at the time of assembly, the sections are anchored to one another by means of a locking element which is inserted in the two meeting sections and is so formed that it can be used both for 'ceiling and floor.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, of which FIG. 1 shows a section of a joint between two ceiling or wall elements,

FIG. 2 shows the new locking element in various prespectives, of which FIG. 2a is a lateral view,

FIG. 2b is a view from above,

FIG. is a view from the right, and

FIG. 2d is a view from the left,

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of an anchorage by means of the locking element of a ceiling section to a wall section and of a wall section to a floor section, and

FIG. 4 shows the locking element at an intermediate stage in the production process.

FIG. 1 shows at 1' two wall elements consisting of rectangular sheet metal covers and enclosing a heatand sound-insulating material. The sheet metal covers terminate in U-shaped slots 2 against the bottom of which the clamping sections 3', 3" are held pressed by a number of T-shaped bolts 4' with nuts 7 placed at regular intervals along the sections. The wall elements joined together in this way form walls and ceiling in the machine-room. The sections 3" on the inside of the walls and ceiling meet at the top and are locked to one another by locking elements in accordance with FIG. 2; the same locking elements are used also where the wall sections meet the floor section.

The way in which locking is effected with the aid of the locking element in FIG. 2 is shown in detail in FIG. 3, where 1 shows an internal ceiling section, 2 an internal wall section and 3 a floor section. The locking element in FIG. 2 is shown in two positions, between ceiling and wall section 2 and between wall and floor section. In assembled condition the locking element is inserted in the respective sections, but for the sake of clarity is shown drawn out from them.

The locking element consists in principle of two cutoff U-sections perpendicular to one another, one with web 4 and shanks 5 in FIG. 2c and 3, the other with web 6 and shanks 7 in FIG. 2b and 3, held together by apshaped intermediate part 8 in FIG. 2a, 2b, 2c and 3. The sections fit into the ceiling and wall sections 1 and 2 with a certain clearance necessary for simplification of assembly. In the web they have bent-out lugs 9 and 10 in FIG. 2a, 2b and 3, which, when inserted into the respective ceiling, wall and floor sections, snap into corresponding holes 11, 12 and 13 in the latter, whereby said sections are extremely simply locked to one another.

For the locking effect between ceiling and wall sections and the locking element, use is made of the shape of shanks 5 in FIG. 1, the free ends 6 of which are bent through and hold the locking element in FIG. 3 in position for engagement of the lug 9 (10) in the hole 11 (12). Lug and hole are so placed that, with sections and locking element in final position, the ceiling section 1 in FIG. 3 rests with its end surface against the web 2a of the wall section 2. The latter section is prevented by the bent portion of the intermediate piece 8 in FIG. 2a and 3 from being pushed upwards so far that its end surface lies on the same plane as the surface of contact 14 (FIG. 3) of the shanks of ceiling section 1. Instead, the shanks 7 of the locking element are drawn up so far that their end surfaces 15 lie on the same plane as the surfaces 14. This is necessary in order that, like the surfaces 14, they shall provide a sealed abutment against the packing in the bottom of the U-shaped slot 2 in FIG. 1. A small remaining gap between shanks 5 and 7 in FIG. 3 is sealed after assembly with special sealing material.

For satisfactory locking effect between the locking element and the floor section the intermediate piece 8 (FIG. 2b) is formed with a plane portion at such a distance from the web 6 that the floor section, inserted in position, is held rigidly in position for engagement of the lug 10 in the hole 13 (FIG. 3).

As is seen, the wall and ceiling sections may be similarly shaped at the ends. Apart from cutting into the desired lengths, the only action necessary is drilling of holes 11 and 12 (FIG. 3) at equal distances from the ends. In the bottom section holes 13 alone are drilled instead of entire cut-outs for the wall section 2.

The locking element thus brings a considerable saving both in production and storage costs for the section.

The locking elements can also be used for mutual lateral steering of the external ceiling and wall sections. If the sections 1 and 2 in FIG. 3 are considered to be reversed, i.e., with the web in the opposite direction to that shown, it will be readily realized that the locking element can be inserted into the sections in the same way as described above, but with the difference that no locking effect arises. Nor is this desirable since the outer sections, which are held in position by bolts 4 in FIG. 1, must be mobile in the longitudinal direction of the bolts and must not be prevented from pressing against the building elements 1 when the nuts 7 in FIG. 1 are tightened.

The locking element is made of plane sheet metal by cutting and successive bending in several operations into the final form shown in FIG. 2. At one stage of bending the element has the form shown in FIG. 4.

The locking element in FIG. 4 can be used with advantage for direct anchorage of struts and the like with a section as shown by in FIG. 1 to plane plate or concrete surfaces. For this purpose the section 1", 2" is inserted, as described above, into the strut and is locked with the lug 3' in a corresponding hole in the strut. The plane portion 4" is attached by suitable known means to the plate or concrete surface.

What is claimed is:

l. A locking element for interconnecting adjoining perpendicular clamping sections for panel elements, each section comprising a U-shaped channel beam having an outer web and inwardly projecting legs terminating in bent portions providing spaced-apart surfaces of contact parallel to said web, said locking element comprising a first U-shaped portion having legs adapted to be inserted into the first of said sections between its web and its bent portions and a base adapted to be inserted into said first section alongside its web, said locking element also comprising a second U-shaped portionhaving legs adapted to be inserted into the second of said sections between its web and its bent portions and also having a base adapted to be inserted into the said section alongside its web, and means connecting said bases of the U-shaped portions perpendicular to each other, said base of said second U- shaped portion being narrower than its legs so that said legs of said second portion project beyond said base and terminate in contact edges which are spaced apart and are adapted to be coplanar with said surfaces of contact of said first clamping section.

2. A locking element according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a piece integral with said bases, said piece being joined to the base of the first portion by a right-angle bend and being joined parallel to the base of the second element by a double bend adjacent to but spaced from said contact edges.

3. A locking element according to claim 1 including anchor means associated with each U-shaped portion to anchor said locking element to each clamping sec tion.

4. A locking element according to claim 3 wherein said anchor means comprises lugs in the bases of the two U-shaped portions, which lugs are designed to engage in corresponding holes in the perpendicular sections and thus anchor the latter to one another, said lugs and holes being so placed that the distance of the hole from the end of the section is the same in both sections.

5. A locking element according to claim 3 characterized in that the connecting means comprises an intermediate piece with a plane portion which, together with the base of the second U-shaped portion forms a space such that a plane plate having a hole can be inserted into the space, and said anchor means comprises a lug in said base of the second portion which, by snap action, anchors the locking element through the fact that the lug in the base is pressed mto the corresponding hole in the plate, whereby the locking element can be used for locking of a wall clamping section to the plane plate of a floor section. 

1. A locking element for interconnecting adjoining perpendicular clamping sections for panel elements, each section comprising a U-shaped channel beam having an outer web and inwardly projecting legs terminating in bent portions providing spaced-apart surfaces of contact parallel to said web, said locking element comprising a first U-shaped portion having legs adapted to be inserted into the first of said sections between its web and its bent portions and a base adapted to be inserted into said first section alongside its web, said locking element also comprising a second U-shaped portion having legs adapted to be inserted into the second of said sections between its web and its bent portions and also having a base adapted to be inserted into the said section alongside its web, and means connecting said bases of the Ushaped portions perpendicular to each other, said base of said second U-shaped portion being narrower than its legs so that said legs of said second portion project beyond said base and terminate in contact edges which are spaced apart and are adapted to be coplanar with said surfaces of contact of said first clamping section.
 2. A locking element according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a piece integral with said bases, said piece being joined to the base of the first portion by a right-angle bend and being joined parallel to the base of the second element by a double bend adjacent to but spaced from said contact edges.
 3. A locking element according to claim 1 including anchor means associated with each U-shaped portion to anchor said locking element to each clamping section.
 4. A locking element according to claim 3 wherein said anchor means comprises lugs in the bases of the two U-shaped portions, which lugs are designed to engage in corresponding holes in the perpendicular sections and thus anchor the latter to one another, said lugs and holes being so placed that the distance of the hole from the end of the section is the same in both sections.
 5. A locking element according to claim 3 characterized in that the connecting means comprises an intermediate piece with a plane portion which, together with the base of the second U-shaped portion forms a space such that a plane plate having a hole can be inserted into the space, and said anchor means comprises a lug in said base of the second portion which, by snap action, anchors the locking element through the fact that the lug in the base is pressed into the corresponding hole in the plate, whereby the locking element can be used for locking of a wall clamping section to the plane plate of a floor section. 